Harlem Globetrotters Player Blasts News Anchors For Throwing A Banana At Him While On Air: “Unacceptable & Offensive”
What was supposed to be a fun day for Harlem Globetrotters player Maxwell Pearce turned into an upsetting experience.
Pearce — AKA “Hops” appeared on Fox6 in Birmingham to promote an event back in January. In the clip, you can see the moment tangerines are being thrown at Pearce by people on set. The 24-year-old tried to play it off and remain cool but he became shocked when one of the anchors took it a step further and hurled a banana at him. Although this happened earlier this year, he’s now coming forward to blast the reporters for the “disrespectful and egregious” act.
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“Throwing fruit at me diminishes the Naismith Hall of Fame legacy of the Harlem Globetrotters to that of a circus,” Pearce said in an emotional video that was posted over the weekend. He went on to say, “But throwing a banana at a black man and passing it off as entertainment displays an unacceptable lack of awareness. And quite frankly, I’m having a very difficult time understanding how someone could work in the media field and not know that this is offensive.”
He added,
“This carries deep racial undertones that date back to the early 1900s when black people were held on display in human zoos.”
Pearce said he found the strength to come forward after the recent tragic deaths of Ahmaud Arbery, Breonna Taylor, and George Floyd. He felt it was necessary to shine a public light on what he personally went through.
Pearce explained that he initially urged the news station for an apology, but “stood down” our of fear of coming off as combative. Only the news director had issued an apology to the athlete. However, according to an update, the reporters apologized today… months AFTER he confronted them about it.
Now, although that’s what Pearce initially wanted, he further explained in a statement:
“I have viewed what was aired by WBRC this morning and I accept Mickey Ferguson’s apology. However, in Clare Huddleston’s statement, she says that she apologized to me immediately after the segment, and this did not happen.”
Huddleston has not publicly spoken out to respond to Pearce’s claims. Though, a station spokesperson did release a statement on the matter to AL.com saying,
“WBRC Fox6 would like to take this opportunity to again extend a heartfelt and sincere apology to Globetrotter Max Pearce. An on-air segment promoting a Globetrotters event with Mr. Pearce months ago was intended to be lighthearted. However, it became something deeply hurtful to our guest as the result of our lack of understanding.”
Despite all of this, Pearce said,
“I look for this to become a teachable moment and spark a national conversation. We can achieve growth through accountability and the commitment to learning from our mistakes. Meaningful dialogue with other cultures gives us the ability to learn about what others experience and become conscious of the racial blind spots that we all have.”
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